Fractured bone fragments typically must be held together for extended time periods to promote healing. Adjoining fragments of a severed or fractured bone are typically clamped together or attached to one another through the use of pins or screws driven through the separated portions of bone, or are fixed in place using a splint.
In general, bones are formed of a relatively soft, spongy cancellous material surrounded by a much harder cortex. Cancellous bone yields under relatively low loading, while the much denser cortical bone supports much higher loading. In some cases, fixation devices are used to secure the broken parts together through direct fixation in the bone. However, due to the soft nature of the cancellous material, fixation devices may tend to disassemble as screws and nails loosen from the bone material over time.
In some cases, compression screws are used to compress together bone fragments. Given relatively high loading, compression screws can tend to back out once implanted, thus leading to unwanted discomfort and potentially recurring surgery. While a number of techniques and devices have been developed for fixing bones together for healing, these and other issues remain. Thus, an improved bone compression device with strong purchase and no backing out is desired.